Mobile is a work in progress for Intel, but at least it's finally "really there" says new mobile chief

Intel Corp. (INTC) has big plans for x86 smartphones. Its capable first showing, Medfield, demonstrated that Intel could make a decent smartphone system-on-a-chip, even if besting the cream of the ARM Holdings plc (LON:ARM) licensee crop was a work in progress.

I. x86 Windows Phones? Perhaps.

Intel's initial efforts have focused on Android. But the company says it's also leaving the door open to another licensed third-party operating system -- Microsoft Corp.'s (MSFT) Windows Phone.

Hermann Eul, president of Intel's Mobile Communications Group, spoke to the IDG News service at Computex 2012 about the possibility. He comments, "We would be [interested] when we see [the Windows Phone] market has a good chance to return our money that we have invested into this. Our roadmap has devices that can support Windows also on phones. So we can do that. The hooks for doing that [are] there."

Tizen is also backed by Samsung Electronics Comp., Ltd. (KSC:005930), but Samsung has yet to launch devices using the experimental OS. Of the nebulous project Intel would only say, "The current trend of statistics is pretty clear, Android is gaining the largest share of the market so that is where the money is. We support Tizen as well, we haven't announced any product on this, but being in the Tizen alliance it's clear we are also engaged there."

II. From Competitor to Champion: How Intel Plans to Step up Its Mobile Game

Currently, Intel is selling only one single-core smartphone chip SKU -- the Z2460 (a second chip, the single-core 1 GHz Z2000 has been offered, but Intel has no buyers yet).

But later this year a new chip -- the Z2580 will launch. That new chip will bump to a dual-core design, as well as add on-die HSPA+ and LTE. Then in 2013 Intel's best chance at dethroning ARM, the 22 nm die-shrinkMerrifield will land. Intel hopes to follow up with an improved version of the Z2000 for lighter-weight budget smartphones and feature phones. And then in 2014 it has plans for both an architecture boost and a die shrink to 14 nm.

For now, despite lacking volume, Mr. Eul says he considers the project a success in that it's generating buzz and dispelling misconceptions about Intel's mobile chances. He states, "We see substantial interest in our platforms in particular after customers really see the devices in the market and see Intel is really there. With that all the badmouthing on power consumption, and cannot do it, and so on is put to rest."

Intel's efforts in 2012 have impressed, but the company has a tough road ahead if it wants to go from simply "really [being] there" to being a chip that manufacturers will pick over rival designs from Qualcomm, Inc. (QCOM) or NVIDIA Corp. (NVDA) for their smartphones.